Rock and Roll Hall of Fame selections (USA)

No Neil Diamond? No Connie Francis? No Chubby Checker? Rock Expert offers a dozen names he says belong in the Hall of Fame

By ED LEVY
Special to The News
10/23/2005

As a disc jockey, musician and unofficial rock-music historian, I've found it increasingly painful to see the direction the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has been taking. The most troubling problem is the most basic: Artists who deserve to be inducted are - year after year after year - unjustly passed over. At the same time, many groups and artists have been inducted who, based on their body of work, simply don't deserve the recognition.

The Rock Hall has ignored growing demands by fans and experts for a more accurate, trustworthy and realistic process of choosing nominees and inductees. It almost seems that the Hall is deliberately trying to create music history rather than report it. The Rock Hall has a cultural responsibility to report the facts, and do so accurately.

A case in point: Ritchie Valens is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. However, he certainly does not have the credentials to be there. His entire musical career was only nine months long. He had one Top 20 song, and died when he was 17 years old. I like Ritchie Valens and own most of his music, but his body of work is just too small.

By contrast, you have Neil Diamond. His career spans more than 40 years. Beginning as a writer at the Brill Building in the early '60s, his first hit was in 1966 ("Solitary Man"), and he had a long line of hits including several No. 1 songs and many Top 10s. He has written songs done by the Monkees, Barbra Streisand, UB40, Lulu, Deep Purple and countless others. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and given a special achievement award from that body. He has sold more than 120 million albums.

His body of work is obviously Hall of Fame worthy. Yet Diamond has never even been nominated. Many of Diamond's fans are so upset and disillusioned, they won't even acknowledge the Rock Hall, nor will they visit there.

When you multiply the fans of other obviously deserving groups and artists who shun the Rock Hall, the numbers become staggering. This has translated into steadily declining attendance and is one reason why the Rock Hall has not been a financial success. If the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wants to restore its credibility, it will induct Diamond and these other deserving artists as soon as possible.

THE DESERVING DOZEN

1. Neil Diamond - See Above.

2. The Guess Who - Canada's all-time No. 1 rock 'n' roll group, which had a long string of hits from 1965 to 1975, including a No. 1 song in 1970 ("American Woman"). Their influence on subsequent Canadian artists is immeasurable. Burton Cummings possesses one of rock's greatest voices. Randy Bachman is perhaps one of the most underrated rock and jazz guitarists. Together Bachman and Cummings were one of the most formidable song writing duos of their era.

Their stature in Canada is at the superstar level, but like Diamond, the Guess Who has never even been nominated. It's another major oversight for the Rock Hall, one which has alienated many Canadian rock fans.

3. Connie Francis - She was the undisputed top female teen idol of the '50s and the early '60s and sold more records than Elvis between 1958 and 1962. She had 35 top 40 hits (16 that went gold), including several No. 1s and many Top 10s. She had the first rock 'n' roll song by a female artist to sell over 1 million copies ("Stupid Cupid" in 1958). She was the female artist of the year for seven years in a row. Joel Whitburn rated her the 11th most important rock act for the first 10 years of rock 'n' roll. She has sold over 110 million albums worldwide. Add to that the quality of her voice and the influence she had on upcoming female rock artists. Her omission smacks of sexism.

4. Chubby Checker - You cannot discuss the history of rock 'n' roll between 1959 and 1964 without prominently mentioning Chubby Checker.

A little history lesson: Rock 'n' roll was in severe trouble starting in 1958, when Elvis went into the Army. Quickly on the heels came the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly on Feb. 3, 1959. That was followed shortly thereafter by the payola scandal, threatening rock's credibility and future. Rock 'n' roll was at its lowest point. To the rescue came Chubby Checker and the "dance craze" era. He kept rock alive and kept America dancing. His influence spawned such things as the "Locomotion," the "Watusi," "Bristol Stomp," "Twist and Shout," "Twistin' the Night Away," "South Street," "Dance, Dance, Dance," "The Peppermint Twist," "Dancin' in the Street," as well as his own hits including "The Twist," "The Limbo Rock," "Pony Time," "Popeye the Hitchhiker," "Let's Twist Again," "Dancin' Party," "The Fly," etc.

Checker saved rock 'n' roll (with later help from the Brill Building, the Beach Boys, and the Four Seasons). In its infinite wisdom, the Rock Hall has never even nominated Chubby.

5. The Dave Clark Five - Another history lesson: The British Invasion was the second most important event in rock history (behind the emergence of Elvis Presley, and just ahead of Woodstock). The Dave Clark Five is just one of many British Invasion groups who have been constantly slighted. Dave Clark's unique drumming style influenced the likes of Ringo Starr, Max Weinberg and Bruce Springsteen to various punk groups of the '70s, and can even be heard in '90s groups like Green Day.

For a while, the DC5 were as popular as the Beatles. They had a long string of hits between 1964 and 1968. Mike Smith (lead vocalist) of the DC5 is perhaps one of rock's most underrated voices. This year was the first year the DC5 was nominated.

6. The Moody Blues - Considered by most rock experts to be the fathers of psychedelic rock, they were the first group to extensively use symphony orchestras in their songs. The members of the Moody Blues are all accomplished musicians who play nearly 100 different instruments. Between 1967 and 1972, the Moody Blues had seven consecutive albums that went gold and/or platinum. The Moody Blues has never been nominated for the Rock Hall.

7. Chicago Transit Authority (later known as Chicago) - Their first year of eligibility was 1993. Since then, they have been nominated twice, but never inducted. Chicago has had more than 20 platinum albums and numerous hits including several No. 1s and plenty of Top 10s. Their first two albums are considered by many to be masterpieces. They were and are the premier "brass sound" band influencing many groups and artists along the way. Their career spans over 35 years.

8. The Hollies - Another British Invasion group which gets no respect from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They actually pre-dated The Beatles (as did Gerry and the Pacemakers) in popularity in England, and had a huge string of hits from 1962 to the mid '70s. While they were far more popular in England than in the States, they still had six top 10 hits here. Their vocal harmonies (Graham Nash and Allan Clarke) are among the best in rock, with "Bus Stop" just one shining example. They were also one of the most prolific British Invasion bands, with over 350 songs. (The Beatles had 184). They have never been nominated for the Rock Hall.

9. The Carpenters - Yes, The Carpenters! Consider these facts - three No. 1 songs, five No. 2 songs (second only to Elvis who had six), 12 Top 10 songs, eight gold albums, five platinum albums, 10 gold singles, the bestselling American group of the 1970s, 18 Grammy award nominations. At the first American Music Awards in 1973, they were voted the best group in the rock/pop category. The Carpenters also have their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Richard Carpenter, who was a classically trained pianist, was also composer, arranger, producer and background singer for most of their material. He has been described as a "musical genius" by the likes of Herb Alpert, Brian Wilson and Burt Bacharach. Add to that Karen Carpenter's self-taught drumming and, most of all, the most pristine female voice in all of rock. While some may condemn the Carpenters for being too syrupy or squeaky-clean, if you judge them on merit, it is obvious they belong in the Rock Hall.

10. Jethro Tull - Their first four albums ("This Was," "Stand Up," "Benefit," and probably their most successful opus "Aqualung") were all critically acclaimed by nearly every rock critic on the planet. They have released 40 albums in 37 years and are one of the most original, innovative and progressive rock groups in history. Ian Anderson is an unbelievable flute player. Even though they did not have much chart success, their music has withstood the test of time. Jethro Tull also has never been nominated.

11. Paul Anka - One of the first and most successful rock teen idols, Anka was the only one who wrote most of his own songs. Even Elvis couldn't claim that. When "Diana" became a hit, Anka was only 15 years old. A prolific song writer, Anka has penned over 900 songs. He has had three No. 1 hits, and dozens of top 10 and top 20 hits. For others, he wrote "My Way" (Frank Sinatra), "She's a Lady" (Tom Jones), "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" (Buddy Holly) and "The Tonight Show Theme."

Anka has also never been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

12. Neil Sedaka - After an initial career as a Brill Building composer, Neil Sedaka decided to try his hand as a performer with huge success. Between 1959 and 1963, only Connie Francis and Elvis Presley sold more records. He had three No. 1 1 hits, nine top 10s, and 15 top 20s.

When his popularity started to decline during the mid '60s, he returned to being a successful songwriter for other artists. ("Where The Boys Are," "Workin' On a Groovy Thing," "Love Will Keep Us Together," "Bad Blood" etc.). He even managed a few hits for himself ("Laughter in the Rain," the slow version of "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do").

Sedaka, too, has never been nominated.

The omission of these (and other) artists leads to the question: Just who are these voters, what are their credentials and why do they show favoritism towards punk acts and R&B artists? The beauty of early rock 'n' roll was the inclusion of a variety of styles (country and western, rhythm and blues, folk, pop, soul and even gospel). The Rock Hall's voters seem to have forgotten this.

The latest group of 15 nominees leaves much to be desired. The mere idea of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five being nominated before Chubby Checker makes most rock fans cringe. Miles Davis is great. I own several of his albums. They are located in my jazz section. Does he deserve to be in the Rock Hall? As a rock performer: No. As an influence: Absolutely. Why is he repeatedly nominated as a performer?

Does a group like the Sex Pistols, who self-admittedly were not very good musicians, deserve to be in the Rock Hall based on one big album? What has the Sir Douglas Quintet done to warrant nomination, with only one top 20 hit? Moves like these have undermined the credibility of the Rock Hall to many members of the baby boom generation, who witnessed the evolution of rock 'n' roll and who remember the importance of those mentioned here.

The biggest bone of contention for nearly every person who loves rock 'n' roll, and wants the Rock Hall to succeed, is the constant friction between the "administrative offices," which are located in New York City, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame itself in Cleveland. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is the only major (or minor) hall of fame that does not induct its inductees at its own site.

Can you imagine the Baseball Hall of Fame having its induction ceremony anywhere but Cooperstown (population 2,033)? A reasonable person might think that you would want to showcase the beautiful venue in Cleveland designed by I. M. Pei, which cost millions of dollars to build. But Terry Stewart, the Rock Hall's CEO, claims the Hall in Cleveland has "other issues to worry about, such as drawing its own crowd."

That is first-degree doubletalk. Having the induction ceremonies anywhere other than Cleveland diminishes the museum - another reason why the Rock Hall has suffered from declining attendance and financial troubles. It has also alienated the people of Cleveland, one of the birthplaces of rock 'n' roll, who feel there is not a concerted effort to make the hall a success in their city.

Finally, one of the Rock Hall's most shameful acts was its failure to induct George Harrison as a solo artist while he was still alive. Even though everyone knew how ill he was, the Rock Hall did not induct him, when they had two chances to do so. Harrison died in 2001. He wasn't inducted until 2004.

I hope the Rock Hall will learn from that glaring mistake, and will move quickly to induct some of the aging artists listed above. They deserve to be inducted before they die. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will never be considered legitimate by knowledgeable rock fans until these oversights are rectified.

It is time for accomplishment and substance to prevail over image and style.

Thanks for that post Eileen! All the artists mentioned in the article are certainly deserving of induction, but the continued snub of Neil Diamond is inexplicable! A writer of numerous pop and pop-rock classics. A great am radio pop-rocker in the days when singles drove the business. A forerunner of the singer-songwriter movement that blossomed in the early 70's. An adult-contemporary pioneer. Showman extraordinaire. Possesser of an very distinctive baritone voice that continues to sell records in more-than-respectable numbers.
What keeps him out is that he's not hip enough for the people who do the voting.

Wed Oct 26, 2005 12:44 am

My top 3 'missing in action' would be:

Black Sabbath
Lynard Skynard
Neil Diamond

Hopefully 2 of these oversights will be corrected this year!

Wed Oct 26, 2005 1:30 am

Most of the artists mentioned in the article deserves to be at least nominated for induction.

But, this is the Rock'n Roll Hall of Fame we're talking about here, right?

So, what exactly was the Rockn' Roll connection regarding the Carpenters?

Why should the Carpenters deserve to be inducted into the Rock'n Roll Hall of Fame???

For God's sake, they were as much Rock'n Roll as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were jazzy!!!

Br
Kristian

Wed Oct 26, 2005 1:53 am

That's a good point Kristian. I don't think the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is supposed to be the Hall of people who had a lot of hits.

I'll just address some briefly but I'll be back for more.

1. Connie Francis- No. A fine performer but a performer who could have and would have definitely existed without rock and roll. Only a few songs ever had a beat, none had a distinct R&B country influence unlike say a pop oriented performer like Bobby Darin or Diamond. She was a traditional pop performer younger than most who scored with both teens and adults. While that's a respectable combination, she doesn't belong in the Roll and Roll Hall of Fame. By no stretch of the imagination by the way did she sell more records than Elvis between 1958 and 1962. No sample of any available evidence supports such a conclusion.

2. Anka- No. Along with the Moody Blues, he may be the performer here responsible for the most dreck. An overly mannered vocal style and simpering songwriting style do not a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame make despite the fact that he appeared on some rock package shows. Has any rock performer ever cited him as influence?

3. The Carpenters- No. For the same reason as Francis. Not rock and roll performers.

4. The Moody Blues- Absolutely, positively unequivocably NO! They were not the first group to marry rock to more complicated themes. Their body of hits is not particularly and what they did was reduce a once music to arrogant, boring pomposity. At least the equally boring Queen had a bit of an edge. Their only decent record is "Go Now" which they stole from a potential Bessie Banks hit that came out only a few months before.

4. Diamond- Maybe. He is most definitely a pop performer first. However, his stuff definitely owes a huge debt to rock music and he has influenced a lot of rock acts. If he were in, I wouldn't complain.

5. Checker- Yes. I will expand on this later but "The Twist" phenomenon that he popularized was one of the most influential movements in pop culture history.

6. The DC5- Yes but marginally. They did have an influence on act's like Springsteen and they were the most rocking second tier Brit Invasion act. However, it is the fact they were generally a notch or two below the Beatles'- Stones- Kinks- Who- even Animals- in terms of the quality of their music, influence, and commercial durability. I guess it's like Valens (who definitely belongs IMO). Like the baseball hall, not everyone is Babe Ruth and not everyone is Elvis Presley.

7. Chicago- No. Innovative mixture of horns into the classic rock sound. But not overly influential. Later went on to perfect the ultimate wimp rock. If you put them in you might as well put Bobby Vee who was a better singer than anybody in Chicago.

Last edited by likethebike on Wed Oct 26, 2005 6:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

Wed Oct 26, 2005 2:19 am

Connie Francis loomed large in the late 50s Rock 'n' Roll era "Stupid Cupid" by Neil Sedaka was a major hit for her. We jived and strolled to her many hits, along with those of Brenda Lee.

The Platters belong too they along with Conway Twitty had us all singing at the top of our voices in the dance halls.

Being there beats all the books that I have read which have invariably been published long after the events transpired. Now we have business men telling us who should be inducted. LOL

Meat loaf on a TV show here in Ireland astonished the host by saying, "Love Me Tender", was Rock 'n' Roll. I know exactly what he meant. But can I put it into words? Not without Elvis standing close by:-)

Wed Oct 26, 2005 2:37 am

I support an induction of The Guess Who. a great rock band imo

but I don't support an induction of The Carpenters (nor Donny & Marie!)

and tho it is controversial and argumentive to say this, I don't support inducting Bob Dylan nor Peter, Paul & Mary (NOT ROCK)

Wed Oct 26, 2005 3:07 am

Graceland Gardener wrote: I don't support an induction of The Carpenters (nor Donny & Marie!)

I agree. I think Karen Carpenter had a fantastic voice and I like many of their songs, but rock 'n' roll??? I wouldn't class Neil Sedaka as rock 'n' roll either. Now if they had a Bland and Camp Hall of Fame, he should be the first to be inducted.

Wed Oct 26, 2005 3:42 am

This subject gets into the question of what exactly constitutes rock&roll. The term is a blanket all-encompassing one that includes the various sub-genres such as folk-rock, jazz-rock, country-rock, punk, metal, pop-rock, and pop. It is in this context that artists such as Connie Francis, the
Carpenters, and Neil Sedaka are considered for inclusion.

Wed Oct 26, 2005 4:06 am

Never thought of Neil Diamond as Rock and Roll. But then never thought of him at all much. It would not bother me either if he was nominated. But as for The Carpenters. I have liked some of their stuff but it is in muzak territory. If the hall of fame gets any pressure from some groups for a certain performer and heeds to it then it might as well take out Elvis because it certainly will not have credibility. I haven't liked it much (The Hall Of fame) since Elvis was not even on their first lineup.

MauriceinIreland wrote:Conway Twitty had us all singing at the top of our voices in the dance halls.

Very true. Not many people are aware that Conway had quite a career in R&R before his switch to country in 1965 with hits such as:
It's Only Make BelieveMona LisaDanny BoyWhat Am I Living ForLonely Blue Boyand several others.

He was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1999. I'm not sure that there has ever been anyone inducted into the Country and Rock Hall Of Fame before. It would be quite an honor and most deserving.

Wed Oct 26, 2005 6:34 am

7. Chicago- No. Innovative mixture of horns into the classic rock sound. But not overly influential. Later went on to perfect the ultimate wimp rock. If you put them in you might as well put Bobby Vee who was a better singer than anybody in Chicago.

Chicago's first album was highly influential. Certainly their wimp rock isn't much worse than the lightweight crap Sedaka turned out for years. Chicago for the most part is a joke, but the same can be said of Sedaka. There isn't a real fine-line between the two, it is hard to see your distinction other than the fact that you probably like Sedaka.

Again, Tull is not a great band, but your personal opinion that they are boring doesn't constitute an obvious 'no' for a Hall Of Fame induction (which is a joke anyway).

Lastly even putting Queen in the same paragraph as the Moody Blues shows your bias. You put on this act of music scholar all throughout this board, but when you personally find an artist 'boring', any objective position on music goes out the window.

Wed Oct 26, 2005 6:56 am

Rob wrote:I'm not sure that there has ever been anyone inducted into the Country and Rock Hall Of Fame before. It would be quite an honor and most deserving.

If you were being sarcastic, my apologies, I can be dense.... else fyi, Elvis is in the Country and Rock and Gospel Hall's of Fame.

Eileen

Wed Oct 26, 2005 7:16 am

I, of course, meant other than Elvis.

Sorry.

Wed Oct 26, 2005 7:27 am

I happen to believe that art rock and its off shoots are the biggest scam since (to paraphrase Cosmo Kramer) since one hour Martinizing. If there are two things that rock and roll is most definitely not about it is complicated chord structures and ostentatious displays of musicianship. I tell you right now the amount of ink that is wasted on acts like Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Queen (they're laughing at you not with you) and their spiritual cousins in lyric meisters like James Taylor, Crosby, Stills and Nash etc. is an absolute crime. You talk about missing the plot. I feel this music has been giving a loftier reputation than it deserves because fans feel guilty about enjoying popular music. They need to fool themselves that they are listening to poetry or music with near "classical" themes. Pop music has its own aesthetic that can hold its head high enough without being gussied up in a stream of pretensions.

There's a significant difference between Sedaka's early hits and the later Chicago ballads. All have Sedaka's early hits were identifiable as rock and roll, heavily influenced by doo wop harmony and rhythms with heavy beat. And his lyrics were specifically aimed at the teen subculture. His later hits were mostly pop (even though "Bad Blood" was a mild rocker) I'm not saying that he was the greatest performer who ever lived. However, he was a major influence on the next generation's most popular rock influenced performer Elton John and his early string of hits were an influence on the more professionally crafted work of the girl group artists.

You're absolutely right in that my critical assessment of an artist's worth it all comes down to whether or not a performer intrigues me or not. Why shouldn't it and it should be that way for everybody? Every critical argument is based largely on this contention. The critic Simon Frith wrote about listening to a radio show where people argued whether or not Elvis stole rhythm and blues. He concluded that the people who liked Elvis' music were defending him and those that did not were levelling the charge. I agree. Elvis' attitudes are a matter of fact and not opinion. So, is whether he could and hit notes and what notes he could hold and hit. However, whether "That's All Right Mama" is a thrilling reinvention or a pale imitation done by a white boy who could never get it, depends on whether or not you enjoy the record.

Not that I necessarily think that all acts I don't enjoy should not be in the Hall of Fame. I wouldn't listen to the Grateful Dead, the Eagles or later Aerosmith if you threatened to burn out my eye with a hot poker. However, I begrudgingly concede their influence. Same with the Doors, IMO, the most overrated artists in the entire history of rock music. Yet there's a whole school of bands out there that use them as a model. Same with Checker who wasn't would you call a great musician but the dance he popularized was a worldwide phenomenon and changed the way most people think about dancing.

This is all why I have never been a big fan of the Rock and Roll HOF. In baseball, you sometimes have an argument about a given player's intangibles. In rock and roll, it is almost all intangibles. Not only is it hard to agree on what rock and roll is, it's impossible to agree what greatness. The rock hall seems to have a loose consensus of influence as a measuring stick. But as some people have pointed out that is like giving the top spot in the baseball Hall of Fame to the first batter who wore batting gloves. Then there's a difference in the size of influence. Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson are not even comparable in terms of influence. But when he is not being compared to a performer of the Presley-Beatles- Berry- Dylan ilk, he stands pretty well on his own. Kept rockabilly on the charts long after it peaked, an important influence in gaining rock adult acceptance, an important influence on acts like John Fogerty, and a pioneer in the country rock movement. Yet he can't compare to Presley so even in the HOF there's a division.

And this type of thing tumbles down. I mean how do you decide which achievement is too small. A record like "Louie Louie" may have been the only classic, the Kingsmen did but it had a tremendous influence. And my personal rock and soul universe is filled to the brim with one or two hits wonders who rocked my world. By placing the performers in the Hall you inadvertently belittle artists that made those tiny contributions.

To further complicate things, as this argument has established, the worth of a performer's catalogue is purely subjective.

Wed Oct 26, 2005 7:28 am

Eileen wrote:

JLGB wrote:I haven't like it much (The Hall Of fame) since Elvis was not even on their first lineup.

likethebike wrote:4. The Moody Blues- Absolutely, positively unequivocably NO! ...Their only decent record is "Go Now" which they stole from a potential Bessie Banks hit that came out only a few months before.

Nights in White Satin is a classic too.

Wed Oct 26, 2005 8:20 am

Thanks TJ. For correcting me also.

Wed Oct 26, 2005 8:21 am

Again, What about GRAND FUNK RAILROAD

Wed Oct 26, 2005 4:22 pm

First and foremost, I would love to see Lynyrd Skynyrd inducted. They were a tremendously talented bunch, great writers and performers. Very influential on other acts, as well.

The parameters of the hall are the sticking point. It's more a "Music Hall of Fame" than a "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame." There are several acts who probably don't belong in the current shrine, at least by definition, but that won't change.

Should the Bee Gees have been inducted into the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame"? I love the Bee Gees, and I was happy to see them be named into the hall, but it's a tough argument to make to suggest they are/were a "rock" band.